The Art of Wearing Dresses
by TrafficLights
Summary: The fluff! Kel gets into a little trouble and has to rely on one of her less trust-worthy friends to help her out. Of course, it's not that simple when the 'friend' doesn't exactly have a platonic mind.


_A/N:  Oh my god.  I can't believe I'm letting this see the light of day.  It's so embarrasing.  Pure fluff, and I hate myself for writing it.  Eeee!!  I can't bear to even read it without gagging.  That's it, I'm going back to humor._

                 **The Art of Wearing Dresses**

**~*~*~*~**

Keladry rarely did impractical-or stupid, if you wish-things. She was prudent, and she liked to think she had common sense. She did, but everyone has those times when thoughts slip their mind and they do something they would normally think better of. This was one of those times.

It was mid-summer, and the occasional breeze did nothing to cool the balmy temperatures. For this reason, Kel decided to wear a dress, which was surprisingly light and airy. Then she started her day's work.

One of the children at New Hope had decided to show his or her thanks by painting 'The Lady Night is Grate' in big, gangly letters on a wall. As much as she was honored, it wasn't something she wanted her superiors to see anytime soon. So she pulled out a ladder and decided to paint over it.

Dragging the cumbersome ladder after her, she passed Dom teaching the younger refugees how to fight with wooden practice swords. She smiled as the oldest was only eight, and they could only flap the planks awkwardly at each other.

When she reached the wall, she took out the brown paint that matched the wood almost exactly and started up the ladder. It wasn't until she looked down at her boots and the hem of her dress that she realized it might not be a good idea to climb a ladder with a dress on in a camp full of men. She eventually shrugged it off and placed each foot carefully. She was at the very top before she noticed the jeering Stormwing shape on the roof. Not six feet away, she was extremely aware of the smell it gave off. 

She scowled, irritated by its sudden presence. "What do you want?"

The female Stormwing gave her a look that could have darkened Mithros' realm. "Not very polite, are you?"

"No, not presently, I suppose." Kel snapped. Stormwings had never been one of her favorite Immortals.  "Maybe you should leave and try again later." She paused and added fiercely, "Or don't." It was not one of the more intelligent things that she had ever said.

With one last sneer, the Stormwing took flight, but instead of leaving, she swooped down and knocked the ladder out from Kel. She managed to latch onto the edge of the roof before she fell, but the paint and brush dropped from her hands and formed a dark puddle on the dirt. She cursed fluently and strongly as the immortal laughed cruelly and flew off with the ladder.

The idea of jumping down only entered her mind once; as soon as she looked down, the height magnified and she wasn't able to make her hands let go. She cursed again, but softly this time, there were children around. She felt her hopes for a graceful way down strengthen as she remembered that the children had a teacher... 

She looked over her shoulder and audibly sighed in relief, Dom and a group of small children were heading towards her. 

"Well, look what we've got here, boys and girls." He stuck his hands in his pockets and grinned cheerfully. "The Lady Knight has gotten herself in a bind."

_Oh that does it, she thought viciously, I'm writing a book. Chapter One: Advice on how not to embarrass yourself. 1. NEVER climb a ladder in a dress._

Dom continued to casually lecture the attentive children on how to avoid this particular situation, and then started to lecture her.

"Now, Kel, I know the apple suposedly doesn't fall far from the tree, but we really must work on your diplomacy skills."

_So he saw the whole thing. Chapter Two: How to get a Sergeant who doesn't work under you fired._

She took a breath. "Dom, a little help?"

He looked at her and frowned. "Never inturrupt, Keladry," he scolded.

She swung out and impatient foot and managed to scuff the back of his head. She felt satisfied with his grunt and glare.

_Chapter Three: How to enjoy the little things in life. _

"Dom, my hands are hurting." She tried to sound completely normal, but it was very uncomfortable.

"But Kel," he started innocently, "I quite like the view from here."

She froze and turned a deep magenta-like hue. She could not believe he had just said that. 

The children couldn't either; they began to giggle furiously and one of the younger ones began to sing.

"Sergeant and Lady sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G..." Soon all of the children were singing mercilessly.

Kel groaned and let her head hit the roof she was so desperately hanging onto.  Could her day get any worse? She wanted to see Dom's expression, but was too humiliated to even look.

"All right, all right." Dom cut into the middle of the song and the singing subsided. "Just jump, Kel."

"No, I tried that already," she faltered, "I can't."

Dom didn't ask her why she couldn't. Instead his voice turned coaxing. "Sure you can. This is different. You have me to catch you now."

"You have got to be kidding me." He couldn't actually think she would jump into his arms like a faint young woman. 

"No, I'm perfectly serious. Jump."

She hesistated, her hands were starting to hurt.

"Come on Kel, I promise-"

She let go of the roof suddenly, catching him off balance and throwing them both to the ground. She landed on her back with a gasp but Dom's momentum carried him a bit farther. He ended up sitting next to her and the narrowly avoiding the puddle of paint.

When she got her breath back, for lack of anything more sophisticated to do, she slapped him across the arm, hard. "That was for laughing," she hit him again, "that was for waiting." He laughed as she hit him a final time, "And that, was for not catching me properly."

Then she mercilessly pushed him over into the puddle of paint. "And that," she finished, getting up and brushing herself of carefully, "was for looking up my skirt."

She knew she was blushing even as she said it, but the look of surprise on his face was more than worth it. She turned on her heel and left him sitting in paint.

_Oh, no. Never wear a dress on ladders. Unless you happen to be in close proxemity to your crush. _

***~*~*~*~*~**

An hour later, a recovering Keladry headed towards the officer's mess. She had avoided the painting job, Dom, and any of the children with a fierce determination. The only thing she wanted was to completely erase the entire humiliating experience from everyone's memory, including her own.

She entered the building and was startled into to looking up by the sudden sound of chorused voices.

"Domitan and Keladry sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G." She gaped at the soldiers, and her eyes met for an instant a pair of mischievous and twinkling blue ones before she exited the room with deeply flushed cheeks. "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Dom with the baby carriage..."

_Thank you if you managed to bear through me with that...story-fluffy-thing.  Please review!_

**^^Valencia**


End file.
